New York show: SRT Viper revealed

The Viper is back and faster, louder and more brash than ever - hurrah!

Big moment for SRT, this. There was a time when Dodge's Street and Racing Technology division - which recently became a standalone brand - didn't think it would ever build a Viper again. The enormous crowd that turned out to see the brand new car unveiled on the New York show stand certainly seemed glad that it did.

Interior now less 'kit car' - officially!

The crowd was so big it was literally about three-quarters of an hour after the end of the press conference before enough people left and we could actually get a good look at the car. Clearly a descendent of the previous generations, it also speaks of TVR boldness, and perhaps, slightly, of prancing horses.

This last bit is interesting, SRT President and CEO Ralph Gilles revealing in his speech that they did look at some platforms "from Italy." What with SRT parent company Chrysler being part of the Fiat Group now it would presumably be rude not to. But apparently none of them fit the Viper's proportions, so it's bespoke and engineered from scratch - 50 per cent more rigid and up to 70kg lighter than before.

Ferrari and Maserati have been helping out improving the low volume build process, however - in particular the interior. The Viper was always a bit 'kit car' inside previously (Gilles' words, not ours), and at least superficially the new one is a massive improvement.

Voluptuous lines have matured

But that's mere tinsel. This is really all about the performance - and there's plenty of engineering here to suggest SRT is speaking our language. For example, in a world obsessed with fuel economy and emissions, the new Viper has closer gear ratios and a lower final drive. Which means it now hits top speed at its 6,200rpm peak in sixth gear.

In typical American fashion, SRT seems rather reluctant to say what this top speed actually is - nor does it state how quickly the Viper will get to 60mph. But the new all-aluminium 8.4-litre V10 now produces 640hp and 600lb ft of torque. That's up 40 of each, and amongst other things makes this the most torque-laden naturally aspirated road car mill in the world.

It sounds utterly amazing - a hard bark that drills right though you, like a V10 F1 car. No wonder Gilles was grinning when he drives it into the limelight.

8.4-litre V10 laughs in the face of Euro wimps

There will be two versions: an initial, luxed-out GTS variant, and a later "more flamboyant" looking but less well equipped standard car. There's launch control and two-stage adjustable Bilstein damping for the first time, and where rivals have a shift light, the new Viper has a "shift snake". So there.

The car is lighter and stiffer, has unequal length double wishbones all round, and even the bespoke tyre compounds are different front to rear. Many of the body panels are carbon fibre, there's magnesium and extruded aluminium beneath this surface - suddenly this all sounds a bit ... convincing.

Underlining it all, the Viper will be going racing again in the American Le Mans series this year. The appearance on stage of the race car was such a surprise to the assembled press and enthusiasts that it actually provoked some spontaneous whooping and applause.

Surprise debut of ALMS racer inspired 'whooping'

In the end it doesn't matter what we think - there are plenty in the US who are already in love with this car.

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Alias218

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